'Star Trek 3' movie release date confirmed: Third movie coming in 2016

(PHOTO: REUTERS / FRED THORNHILL)Actor Benedict Cumberbatch attends a news conference for the film ''The Fifth Estate'' at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto September 6, 2013.

Updates on the upcoming third Star Trek film are finally out, serving as good news for 'trekkers' and 'trekkies' worldwide.

According to director Roberto Orci, the first draft of Star Trek 3's screenplay is already finished. The screenplay was written by Patrick McKay (Flash Gordon), JD Payne and Orci.

The previous Star Trek movies were famously directed by J.J. Abrams, but since Abrams has his hands full directing 'Star Wars: Episode VII,' with a pending deadline on December 2015, the director's chair was offered to Orci.

Orci's resume includes being an executive producer for blockbusters such as 'The Amazing Spiderman,' and television shows such as 'Sleepy Hollow' and 'Hawaii Five-O.'

The official title of the third Star Trek movie is yet to be announced, but comebacks from previous cast members are to be expected.

'Star Trek Into Darkness,' which was released in 2013, starred Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Sulu, Bruce Greenwood as Pike, Karl Urban as Bones, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the ultra-villain Khan.

The plot is still unknown at this moment, but fans can expect that the direction that this third movie will take will be a little different from the first two movies.

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